'A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius' by Dave Eggers

"Riding the Chicago El to work every day was a perfect backdrop for reading Dave Eggers A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Upon my husband's recommendation, certain passages, especially those set in the suburbs of Chicago, were read while listening to Sufjan Stevens "Come On Feel the Illinoise!" Stevens music added to the already cloudy, boisterous and clanging atmosphere surrounding this comical tragedy of a memoir.

"Eggers recounts his entry into adulthood as his once idyllic family suddenly wrenches into dysfunctionality. The simultaneous struggles of grieving, becoming a parental figure for his young brother, and the overwhelming egotism of a twentysomething in California combine within Eggers to form a bouncing and multi-faceted life full of doubt, improvisation and a wicked sense of humor."